Spring 2009, Week 8 – Small Group Questions

The sermon for this week from the series “Strong: Putting on the Full Armor of God” is titled “Talking God’s Ear Off“.

START IT – Connecting with each other

• Did you grow up in an openly “religious” home?  Or was religion a private matter, unseen by you until later years?
• Were you taught any rote prayers as a child?  What was one of the earliest prayers you can recall?

STUDY IT – Ephesians 6:18-20, Romans 8:26-27

• Read Ephesians 6:18-20 out loud.  What stands out for you in this verse?  What questions do you have?
• What are the things that Paul asks the Ephesians to pray for in these verses?  How do these things relate to the “full armor of God”?
• Why do you think Paul closes this section on the “full armor of God” by talking about prayer?  What’s the connection between prayer and the “full armor of God”?
• What do you think it means to “pray in the Spirit”?  Read Romans 8:26-27.  How does this help us understand what it means to “pray in the Spirit”?
• Looking again at Ephesians 6:18, what does it mean to pray “on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests”?  Is this difficult to do or easy to do?

LIVE IT – Applying the truth of Scripture to life

• What are some obstacles in your life that keep you from praying (or praying more)?
• What could you do to make prayer more of a habit in your life?
• What can you learn from this passage about your prayer for others in your small group? For friends in ministry and/or missionaries?  For others in general?  What can you learn from Paul’s prayers in Ephesians 1:16-18 and 3:14-19.

PRAY IT

• Application:  Pray for “all the saints” in your small group.  Take turns praying for each other, particularly their ongoing spiritual growth over the summer.
• Joys and Challenges:  What joys and challenges are you facing this week?
• Here at Northminster: Pray for the middle schoolers and high schoolers who will be going to Young Life camp this summer.  Pray also for the leaders who will be going with them.
• Beyond Northminster: Pray for Trinity Life Church a new church plant in San Diego affiliated with San Diego Presbytery.  Pray for their pastor, Marc Peña, that God would guide him and strengthen him for this new ministry.